Ian Brady’s lawyer claims the notorious child killer could not remember where he had buried the remains of missing Keith Bennett.

And he has poured cold water on the idea Brady left behind secret papers containing clues to the whereabouts of the schoolboy’s moorland grave.

Robin Makin sat with Brady in Ashworth Hospital just hours before his death on Monday.

Mr Makin, who has represented the serial killer for the past 25 years, said: “It was, I suppose, quite a moving sort of situation.

“I got a call that he wanted to see me. He was obviously well aware that his death was imminent and I was with him for maybe a couple of hours and left perhaps two hours before he died.

“We discussed a few things but he was extremely weak and it was very, very difficult for him.

“It was somebody who was in his last hours really so I was sort of sitting there and when he was able to speak he spoke to me and we discussed a few things but obviously not as extensively as on previous occasions.

He said Brady did not give him any clues as to the location of Keith Bennett’s remains to help the victim’s family find him.

“I would very much hope that the remains can be found but unfortunately I have not got any information that is going to assist them” he said.

“I would be very surprised if he really had anything that was useful. He did go to the moors a long time ago and I suspect that if there had been information for him that he could have provided he would have provided it then.”

Speaking on the BBC Radio Four Today programme, he also appeared to dismiss claims Brady had documents which could provide clues to Keith’s location.

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“We decided it was his attempt to dominate the meeting and it would be done on his terms.

“I think he was completely devoid of emotion.

“One of my greatest professional regrets is that I wasn’t able to help Winnie get closure, the closure vital to her as a parent. It’s extremely sad that Brady has gone to his grave with that very important secret.

“I think all five victims need to be remembered, particularly Keith Bennett who has never been found.

“He dropped hints. I asked him specifically ‘Do you know where the body is if you went back to the moors?’

“He said sarcastically ‘When I did go back in 1987 I took the police almost over his grave and they didn’t know, they bungled it’. That was a bizarre thing to say and it convinced me that in fact he did know.”

Keith’s brother has vowed to keep searching.

Alan Bennett - who’s campaign group ‘Searching For Keith’ organises digs on the moor - said: “Thank you to everyone for your sincere words and thoughts.

“We will carry on doing whatever we can to bring Keith home and your support means more than I could ever put in to words.